I think most of us are familiar with some of the aerial fighter squadrons from both world wars. The Flying Tigers, the Tuskegee Airmen (The Red Tails–click here to read the blog), and the U.S. Navy “Jolly Rogers” were several of the well-known squadrons during World War II. The Lafayette Escadrille and 94th Aero Squadron (“Hat in the Ring”) were two of the most famous World War I airplane squadrons.
The concept of foreign volunteers (i.e., mercenaries) joining to fight combatant nations is nothing new. The German Hessians joined the British to fight American revolutionaries, the Swiss Guards protected the Pope in Vatican City as well as French monarchs in Paris while the Nepalese Gurkhas once fought against the British but later fought alongside British soldiers.
Today, you will be introduced to a famous fighter squadron but not as well-known as the ones I have mentioned. The Eagle Squadrons were made up of American pilots who volunteered to join the British Royal Air Force (RAF) before the United States entered the war following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor (7 December 1941).
Click here to watch the video Americans Flying for Britain.
“If you thought that science was certain ⏤ well, that is just an error on your part.”
⏤ Dr. Richard Feynman
Theoretical physicist
Dr. Feynman also said, “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts” because he knew that skepticism and a willingness to assimilate new evidence propel the scientific endeavor.
We are watching what seems to be a possible global rearrangement and at the very least, a new way of dealing with both our allies and not-so-friendly nations. Is this a temporary template for conducting foreign policy or are we seeing the beginnings of a permanent change?
We should revisit a quotation from Gen. Charles de Gaulle:
“No nation has friends, only interests”
It is always fun to read the many quotations from Winston Churchill who is also quoted quite often. It is too bad we are not exposed to more of Gen. de Gaulle’s quotes. Like Churchill, the French general had very insightful comments that are accurate and stand the test of time.
Did You Know?
Did you know that the first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer? A Silicon developer, Pierre Omidyar, invented eBay in 1995 (then called “Auction Web”) and tested his new online venture by loading an ad for his broken pointer that originally cost him US$30. He listed the laser pointer for $1.00 and after one week, bidding began with the final winning bid at $14.83.
Within two years, the site was re-branded as eBay and its millionth item was sold. So, who purchased the laser pointer? A Canadian, Mark Fraser, identified himself in 2015 as the person who became the first customer of eBay and has held on to the pointer for all these decades.
https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/meet-the-buyer-of-the-broken-laser-pointer/
I wonder what the pointer would fetch today if Mr. Fraser were to put it on eBay.
The Origin of the Eagle Squadrons
Prior to the United States entering World War II, a successful American businessman and socialite (and friend of Ernest Hemmingway), Charles Francis Sweeny (1909−1993), persuaded the British government to form a squadron comprised solely of American pilot volunteers. Sweeny and his wealthy friends not only raised the money to send the volunteers to England for training, but they also personally recruited the men.
Prior to the occupation of France in June 1940, Sweeny’s activities were considered illegal. He managed to thwart the FBI’s efforts to capture and imprison the “recruiters.” However, after France fell to Hitler, the United States government turned its head on his activities and even the FBI declared Sweeny’s recruiting efforts were legal.
Meanwhile, at the same time, there were parallel efforts being made in Canada. Several World War I aces, William (“Billy”) Bishop (1894−1956) and Clayton Knight (1891−1969), began to recruit and train Americans for service in the RAF. By the end of 1941, they had recruited more than 7,000 Americans with about 15% of them becoming pilots. (Sweeny’s uncle was recruiting Americans to fly for the French air force.)
The British government decided to accept the American volunteer pilots in July 1940. By then, the Battle of Britain had begun, and Britain was fighting for its life. The American pilots were desperately needed.
The first unit formed was the No. 71 Squadron known as “The Eagle Squadron.” Sweeny designed the shoulder patch bearing an American eagle. There were enough volunteers to form two additional units: the No. 121 and No. 133 Eagle Squadrons. The pilots began flying missions over France, escorting bombers, and performing targeted strikes.
The Eagle Squadrons
The requirements to join the Eagle Squadrons were a high school diploma, being of age 20 to 31 years, a vision of 20/40 correctable to 20/20, and 300 hours of certified flying time. It was actually easier to join the RAF than it was to get into the United States Army Air Corps (the predecessor of the United States Army Air Force, or “USAAF” formed in June 1941).
Training took place in England using Miles Master Trainers, Hawker Hurricanes, and Supermarine Spitfires. Upon graduation, the men were commissioned as RAF officers and assigned to various RAF fighter squadrons. The volunteers never renounced their American citizenship. Their RAF uniforms were modified to include the Eagle Squadron patch and the letters “ES” for Eagle Squadron.
Between September 1940 and July 1941, three Eagle Squadrons were formed and attached to the RAF. After the United States entered the war, the squadrons were turned over to the USAAF in late September 1942. The commander of the USAAF in Europe, Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz (1891−1974), wanted to disperse the pilots amongst other fighter groups. However, the pilots wanted to stay together, and Gen. Spaatz agreed to their request. The three squadrons became the 334th (“Fighting Eagles”), 335th (“Chiefs”), and 336th (“Rocketeers”) Fighter Squadrons and formed the elite 4th Fighter Group (4th FG) based at RAF Debden, England.
The pilots eventually transitioned from the Spitfires to American P-47 Thunderbolts (1943−44) and P-51 Mustangs (1944−45). The 4th FG achieved the highest air/ground enemy aircraft destruction record in the USAAF. Some of the group’s accomplishments were being credited with 1,016 enemy aircraft destroyed (37 pilots became aces), the first fighter group to fly missions over Germany, the first to escort bombers over Germany, and the first to use belly tanks. Nathaniel Maranz (1919−?), an Eagle Squadron pilot, became the first American prisoner of war when he was shot down over the English Channel on 21 June 1941 and rescued by a German patrol boat.
The 4th FG is considered to have been instrumental in achieving Allied air superiority over Europe. Their final mission of World War II was on 25 April 1945. Today, the 4th Fighter Wing (assigned to the Air Combat Command’s Fifteenth Air Force) is the legacy of the Eagle Squadrons.
Click here to visit the Fourth Fighter Group WWII seb-site.
Click here to visit the American Air Museum Fourth Fighter Group WWII web-site.
Pilots of the Eagle Squadrons
The first pilots of the Eagle Squadrons were Vernon “Shorty” Keogh (1911−1941), Andrew Mamedoff (1912−1941), and Eugene “Red” Tobin (1917−1941). The three Americans were among the first 32 volunteers recruited by Charles Sweeny, and he intended to have them join the French air force. However, Germany invaded France and the men were sent to England to join the RAF. As part of the No. 609 Squadron RAF, the men participated in the Battle of Britain earning them the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939−45 campaign star. In September 1941, they were transferred to No. 71 Eagle Squadron. Unfortunately, all three men perished in 1941 during Eagle Squadron missions. On a side note, Mamedoff became the first American to take a “war bride” after marrying an English woman in 1941. He is also believed to be the first Jewish American pilot to have been killed in World War II (unsubstantiated).
Chesley “Pete” Peterson (1920−1990) was assigned to the No. 71 Squadron upon his arrival in England in late September 1940. At the age of 21, Peterson was given command of the squadron and flew 42 missions (he flew a total of 130 missions during the war). As part of the group assigned to the USAAF 4th FG, Peterson was promoted to major and served as the FG’s executive officer. He became the youngest (age 23) colonel in the USAAF eventually rising to become a major general in 1965.
Donald Blakeslee (1917−2008) joined the RAF in May 1941. He quickly became known for his ability to shoot down enemy aircraft. He was assigned to the No. 133 Eagle Squadron as its commanding officer. Blakeslee quickly became an ace and has been credited with more than 500 missions flown. He is considered to be the most decorated World War II USAAF fighter pilot. His awards and honors include the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, British Distinguished Flying Cross, and the French Croix de Guerre. He retired as a full colonel.
Dominic “Don” Gentile (1920−1951) almost surpassed Eddie Rickenbaker’s World War I record of 26 downed enemy aircraft. (Gentile was credited with 19.83 kills.) He flew the Supermarine Spitfire for the No. 133 Eagle Squadron before his transfer to the 4th FG where he first flew the P-47 before moving on to the P-51. On 13 April 1944, Gentile crashed his P-51 at Debden RAF while showing off for a group of journalists. Commanding Officer Blakeslee immediately grounded Gentile and sent him back to the United States to sell war bonds. He stayed in the air force after the war but in January 1951, Gentile was killed in a trainer aircraft crash.
The Classic Eagle Squadron March
Listen to this rousing march written specifically in memory of the Eagle Squadrons.
Click here.
Next Blog: “SS Cap Arcona”
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★ Read and Learn More About Today’s Topic ★
Caine, Philip D. Eagles of the RAF ⏤ The World War Eagle Squadrons. Washington, D.C.: National Defense University Press, 1991.
Childers, Col. James Saxon. War Eagles: The Story of the Eagle Squadron. Halstad, MN: Pickle Partners Publishing (2016). Originally published by Windmill Press, 1943.
Gentile, Don. One Man Air Force. New York: L.B. Fischer, 1944. Copyright held by North American Newspaper Alliance.
Haugland, Vern (author), Lt. Gen. Ira C. Eaker (USAF Ret.) (Foreword). The Eagle Squadrons: Yanks in the RAF, 1940−1942. New York: Ziff-Davis Flying Books (1979). Republished by TAB Books in 1992. Lt. Gen. Eaker was the model for the fictional Maj. Gen. Pat Pritchard in the 1949 movie, Twelve O’Clock High. (If you haven’t seen the movie you are missing out on probably the most realistic movie about World War II heavy bombers.)
Holmes, Tony. American Eagles: US Fighter Pilots in the RAF 1939-1945 (Images of War). Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Aviation Publishing, 2015.
Kan, Kenneth C. First in the Air: The Eagle Squadrons of World War II. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program, 2007.
Kershaw, Alex. The Few: The American “Knights of the Air” Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain. Boston: Da Capo Press, 2006. This book includes the stories of the first three men to join the Eagle Squadrons.
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What’s New With Sandy and Stew?
Three months after moving into our new home outside the Nashville area, we were hit with the Polar Vortex creating one of the worst ice storms the area has seen. Funny but the winter before we left Nashville some nine years ago, the worst ice storm in fifty years came through. Someone asked me if we were to blame for both. I don’t know. Two weeks after I joined a bank some forty years ago, the Challenger blew up. Two weeks after I joined another bank in late August 2001, the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred. Trust me, I didn’t have anything to do with the Covid pandemic (that I can recall).
I have read The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) now for about fifty years. There are several sections that are of particular interest to me. One is the “Review” section every Saturday. In this section there are book reviews and I focus on non-fiction books with subjects that pertain to what I write about in our blogs and the Paris walking tour books. I have found over the years that if a book makes it to the WSJ, I can be assured it’s well-written and at least worth a look. Many of the books in my library were purchased based on their reviews.
Recently, a book caught my eye. It is Josephine Baker’s Secret War by Hannah Diamond (Yale University Press, 2025). Our 2021 blog, An African American in Paris (click here to read the blog), told the story of Josephine and her wartime exploits. For an expanded story, you might want to check out Ms. Diamond’s book.
Another book I would highly recommend is David L. Roll’s book, George Marshall: Defender of the Republic (Caliber, 2019). Gen. Marshall was an incredible person, and it would have been difficult for the Allies to win the war without him. He would have been the commander of Allied troops for the invasion of Europe, but Gen. Marshall was indispensable to President Roosevelt as his chief of staff and as such, Gen. Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Commander. This is a book I originally purchased based on the WSJ review. The personal and professional standards set by Gen. Marshall should be taught in every school. I gave each of my children a copy of this book.
Thank you to all of you who subscribe to our bi-weekly blogs. It seems there isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t increase our readership. Please let your history buff friends and family members know about our blog site and blogs.
Someone Is Commenting On Our Blogs
I have a lot of people to thank so it will take me several blogs to catch up. If I miss someone who has communicated with us (in a nice way), please don’t get mad at me for not mentioning your comments. I’m trying my best to catch up after our little sabbatical.
First and foremost, thanks to all of you who reached out to us after the last blog was published. It is good to be back, and I appreciate all of your kind comments and concerns about us.
Thanks to Edward N. for his comments on our blog, Salon Kitty (click here to read the blog). Edward is an expert in film and noted how the technical process of recording in the 1940s might have been different than what the blog mentioned.
Hazel S. contacted us about the blog, Cour des Miracles (click here to read the blog). There was an image of an illustration of a beggar that she identified as “The Man with the Twisted Lip” from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story. The artist was Sidney Paget and the story appeared in the Strand Magazine. Thanks Hazel. We have corrected the accreditation in the blog.
Monique T. wrote us about her family in response to the blog, An (extra)Ordinary Holocaust Story of Survival (click here to read the blog). Madame T. is 82-years-young and gave me permission to pass her contact information onto Marianne Golding. Marianne is from the Seidler family and is writing a book about Monique’s family and the Seidler family during World War II. It seems Monique will be able to fill in some of the unknown blanks Marianne has run into.
Paul A. is researching a particular French resistance operative and needed some information on the White Buses from the blog, Ten Gifts of the White Bus Rescue (click here to read the blog). Recall this was a guest blog written by Dr. Roger Ritvo. We were able to connect Paul and Roger. Ironically, several weeks later I received an email from Marzio A. It seems his grandfather assisted Count Bernadotte with the White Bus rescue. He took exception to the Count being called a hero and proceeded to explain what happened behind the scenes as told to him by his grandparents. An interesting twist to the accepted story.
Tim P. has been reading a lot about the French Resistance and contacted us about our blog, The Rasputin of the Abwehr (click here to read the blog). He mentioned he was going on a trip to France and asked about areas where he could visit to gain more knowledge. That’s hard to pin down when the entire country was occupied. That’s why I concentrated on Paris for my three books, Where Did They Put the Gestapo Headquarters? For example, Viriginia Hall (The Butcher of Lyon–click here to read the blog) operated in and around Lyon. Yet there really aren’t any specific sites that I know of to follow her footsteps. Same goes for Nancy Wake (The White Mouse—click here to read the blog). I do know of many resistance museums. However, the printed content accompanying the photographs and exhibits are only in French.
If there is a topic you’d like to see a blog written about, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I love hearing from you so keep those comments coming.
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